SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (WMTV) – Sun Prairie Utilities has informed around 8,000 residents of an issue with their drinking water.

High levels of fluoride were detected in some areas, exceeding state and federal safe drinking water standards. It’s a problem that was detected months ago, but residents are just finding out about the issue this week via a letter in the mail. Now, residents are asking for more transparency.

“I received the letter yesterday in the mail and as I was reading the letter it was telling me that the fluoride in the water now is safe to drink,” Sun Prairie resident Tyrees Scott said. “I didn’t even know it was a problem here. They didn’t let us know that it was a problem so now that I know that it’s drinkable.”

Sun Prairie Utilities is assuring customers that the water is safe to drink and no precautionary measures need to be taken such as drinking bottled water. The letter states that this is not an immediate risk.

“If this would’ve been a major event in that way, we would’ve, just like all of the rules and regulations say, we would’ve notified as required by the DNR,” Sun Prairie Utilities Supervisory Engineer Andrew Hirvela said.

A Sun Prairie resident who received the letter but wanted to remain anonymous said she wishes Sun Prairie Utilities had a policy where they would notify the public immediately. She said her biggest concern is her children’s safety, being a mother of two young children and having a baby on the way.

“It does make me feel less safe going forward knowing that a contamination could happen again and we might not hear about it until later on,” she said.

Some residents are scared this will happen again, but Hirvela said Sun Prairie Utilites is working with the Wisconsin DNR to prevent this from happening again.

Anyone with questions is asked to contact Sun Prairie Utilities.

*Original full-text article online at: https://www.nbc15.com/2023/04/06/sun-prairie-residents-concerned-about-fluoride-drinking-water-after-receiving-utility-company-letter/

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